After sending Marie off, Augustus took the book back to his bedroom and continued reading. He had barely settled down when a servant knocked on the door again.
"Your Holiness, someone else has arrived."
"Alright, lead the way." Hearing this, Augustus immediately stood up, then quickly, as if remembering something, asked, "Oh, right, who is it that's here?"
Up until now, Augustus had never avoided anyone he didn't want to meet. As long as someone came to see him, he was always willing to meet them. Therefore, upon learning that someone was visiting, his first reaction was to go and see them, and only then did he ask who the visitor was.
"The person claims to be Don Giovanni de Medici, son of Cosimo I, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, and is currently a General in the Spanish Empire's army," the servant repeated word for word, which was a basic quality of a servant.
Don Giovanni de Medici, Augustus had known about this person before. To leave a name in the long river of history and for him to know about, one must either be highly capable or of good birth, at least one of the two.
And Giovanni could be said to possess both, but not excessively so, thus he left his mark in history, yet his fame was not immense, incomparable to the renowned figures of the same period. If one hadn't carefully studied this period of history, one would not have known such a person existed. Augustus happened to have stumbled upon him unintentionally before.
In terms of ability, starting in 1598, Giovanni served as the Ambassador for Spain and Florence in Madrid. By 1600, he became a General in the Spanish Empire's army, which is his current position. Historically, his greatest achievement was serving as the Commander of the Venice Republic's army between 1616 and 1617.
In terms of birth, Giovanni was the illegitimate son of Cosimo I, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, and also the brother of the former and current Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Such an identity would normally be somewhat awkward, but after his father granted him inheritance rights, his identity brought him nothing but endless convenience.
Inheritance rights! Augustus suddenly noticed this term. This meant that if the Grand Dukes of Tuscany preceding him in the line of succession met with misfortune, he too could potentially become the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the head of the Medici Family!
Moreover, according to Tuscany's inheritance law, there were not many heirs ahead of him in the line of succession; even Marie was behind him. If it was proven that the death of Francesco I was related to Ferdinand I, cutting off Ferdinand's line of succession, it would be perfectly legitimate to support him as the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Thinking this, Augustus shook his head in time to interrupt his thoughts. It was still too early to consider these things. But no matter what, it was certainly right to try to win over Giovanni as much as possible! It would be best to bring him to the Papal States.
"Uncle, welcome!" This time, Augustus learned his lesson, compared their ages, and thought of the proper address in advance.
As he greeted him, Augustus observed Giovanni. As far as he knew, Giovanni should be 43 years old now, but the person in front of him looked much younger, like he was only in his early 30s. People with dreams generally don't show their age too much, Augustus thought.
Giovanni was startled for a moment, then declined, "Your Holiness, I cannot bear the title of Uncle; please just call me by my name."
"How can that be? We are all here for a family banquet this time, and you are my elder."
"A family banquet naturally has its own rules, but this is not a family banquet. In a private meeting, I believe it is better for me to be mindful of my status," Giovanni said very formally.
"Alright, Uncle Giovanni, please come in," Augustus compromised, using a middle-ground address.
As soon as they sat down, Giovanni directly stated his purpose: "Your Holiness, to be frank, I am here on behalf of my King, Philip III.
As is well known, the Spanish Empire is currently engaged in a war to suppress the rebels in the Netherlands. The opponents are devils who believe in the Calvinist heresy. The enemy resists by relying on cities and terrain, making the war extremely difficult.
This war, waged by the Empire, defends not only its own interests but also the authority of the Catholic Church. Therefore, my King hopes that you can provide some substantial assistance, such as financial aid."
Goodness, that's direct! He didn't even bother with pleasantries, just came straight out asking for money! Augustus sighed inwardly.
Can I give it to you? Of course not! The Papal States' money doesn't grow on trees, and I have my own uses for it!
"Everything the Spanish Empire has done for the Catholic Church is seen by God, and all Catholics will never forget it. I spiritually support your struggle!"
"But spiritual support cannot win us the war. The Spanish Empire truly needs substantial assistance," Giovanni emphasized.
In fact, Giovanni was truly helpless. Philip III had not been without requesting aid from the Pope; several Popes had either been put off with excuses or the aid received was a drop in the bucket. Spain was already struggling to cope, and it couldn't possibly spare the effort to demand money from the Pope.
Upon learning of the Medici Family's family banquet, Philip III's favorite minister immediately thought of Giovanni and encouraged Philip III to send Giovanni to the banquet, using the opportunity to request aid from the Pope.
Although this was very irregular, the King had commanded it, so how could he refuse? Giovanni had no choice but to bite the bullet. It would be best if he could obtain aid, but if he tried his best and still couldn't get it, there was nothing he could do.
"Don't underestimate spiritual support, my Uncle Giovanni," Augustus said meaningfully, "The Pope's spiritual support, the power of faith, if used well, can be worth a million strong army!"
Giovanni looked at Augustus with a look of astonishment. This was not because he was moved, but because he suspected the Pope might be insane.
He thought so in his heart, but on the surface, Giovanni remained very polite: "Your Holiness, may I ask what kind of spiritual support you intend to provide that can be worth a million strong army and help us win the war?"
Augustus calmly retorted, "I ask you, Uncle Giovanni, if it weren't for the support of England and France, could the rebels in the Netherlands still pose a threat to the Spanish Empire?"
"Without the support of England and France, the rebels in the Netherlands would be completely vulnerable!" Giovanni replied excitedly.
"But you know that's impossible! England itself believes in heresy, so their support for the Netherlands is understandable! But France, as an old Catholic great power, to oppose the Spanish Empire, they even support the heretics in the Netherlands! This is simply unforgivable!"
"Precisely! The reason France does this is precisely because of the previous lack of the power of faith."
"Then what should we do?" Giovanni asked anxiously.
"I want to normalize relations between Spain and France. The rebels in the Netherlands, without France's support, will be much easier to deal with, what do you think?"
Giovanni's eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed: "That sounds excellent, but in reality, it's impossible. The conflicts between Spain and France are irreconcilable, and the current French King, Henry IV, is extremely anti-Habsburg."
"This is difficult, but not impossible. So I need your cooperation. Can you represent your King, Philip III?"
"I apologize, I cannot represent my King, but I will convey all your thoughts to the King," Giovanni replied somewhat bitterly.
His King, asking him to do all sorts of things, yet unwilling to give him even a shred of trust. In such a situation, even if he had the ability, he couldn't do things well.
"Since that's the case, why doesn't Philip III come to me himself to discuss it?" Augustus deliberately asked.